


Mother Mayor

by Tamminator



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, Gen, Its platonic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-02-01
Packaged: 2018-09-21 11:04:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9545633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tamminator/pseuds/Tamminator
Summary: Instead of adopting Henry, Regina adopts a ten year old Emma and raises her as a daughter, but it's not always easy, especially when Emma finds out that her destiny is to destroy the first person she ever felt at home with.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Regina ages in this... not that it's mentioned, but time starts up again when Emma comes to town... so Emma and Regina aren't the same age when Emma's 28... just an FYI

Emma was thirteen when she found out she was going to have a horrible life. She had been adopted when she was ten - adopted, finally - by a woman who loved her no less. She wasn’t in a foster home; she wasn’t in a place where she was expected to work for her meals or babysit other kids. She wasn’t government compensation; the woman that adopted her, her mother, legitimately wanted her.

And in the three years she had been with her mother she had certainly tested that theory. When she first got adopted her mother sat her down at their first dinner and smiled at her. Emma raised her eyebrows skeptically. The stranger said, “Emma, I know you don’t know me very well, and I don’t expect you to just jump into the role of my daughter. But dear, I do want to be your mother. I want to be your family, and I want you to have a home here. If you are interested in the same thing, I’d like to know what you expect of me, of a family.”

Emma’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. She wanted to believe what the woman said with all her heart, but she had been betrayed by people she’d known for years. She was given up after three years with her first family; she was not about to jump into a life with this stranger. Besides, she was well aware that she had a meeting with her case worker at the end of the week. Maybe the woman was just playing nice until she got the final check of approval. Wouldn’t be the first time. Then again, not many people cared to adopt a troublesome preteen with no records other than how many times she’d been kicked out of homes for fighting and stealing and running away. “Do I have to call you mommy?” Emma asked with a sickening sweetness in her voice, obviously sarcastic.

The woman smirked at her sass and raised an arched brow. That’s a different reaction. She didn’t look upset. Most potential parents were upset when she didn’t want to just be the perfect loving daughter they always wanted. “Only if you want to,” the woman said, taking a graceful bite of her lasagna. At least this woman was a good cook; Emma could enjoy decent food while this lasted. “I sense that you don’t, and if I’m right,” the arrogance in her voice made Emma furrow her brows. How dare she think she’s right… well, she was, but… “you may call me Regina.”

Later that week Emma ran away. Regina found her at an old abandoned castle playground a few hours later. They sat in silence for about half an hour before Regina offered, “I used to try to run away.”

Emma offered snarkily, “What, you never had the balls to do it?”

Regina chuckled and shook her head. “My mother always caught me before I got very far.” They sat in silence for a few moments before Regina spoke again. “If I may, your skills aren’t very well developed yourself. You don’t know anything about this town, and I’m the mayor. Where did you think you’d go?”

Emma bit her lip. She didn’t think Regina would come looking for her. “What’s your game?” Emma accused, glaring daggers at the woman. Regina arched an eyebrow. “People like you don’t just adopt kids like me. You adopt babies; you want a family. You don’t need any government money, you don’t have any kids you want me to look after. Are you trying to make some political statement? What is it?”

The brunette woman looked up at the sky and gave an amused smile. “You’re right,” she conceded, and Emma was almost a little disappointed at the agreeable statement. “People like me don’t adopt kids like you. Otherwise you’d have been adopted before I came along.” Emma’s stomach flipped at the reminder that she had been alone, and she still was. She didn’t know Regina. “I am well off; I don’t need any money. I don’t have other children, and I don’t think I’ll have any, so your babysitting services will not be necessary.” Emma almost rolled her eyes. “That’s a clever thought, a political statement. It’s not true though. I’m running for my next term unopposed, so there’s really no need for drastic campaign strategies… besides, don’t you think that’s a little crooked to use a child in maintaining a position of power?”

“All politicians are crooked,” Emma mumbled, and Regina smiled.

“You’re probably right,” Regina admitted, leaning back on her elbows, her legs swinging from the platform they were sitting on. “I adopted you because you reminded me of myself.” Emma looked over the put together mayor in a fancy pantsuit and heels and gave her a disbelieving scoff. “You’re restless and lonely, and so was I. There’s not any relationships in my life other than professional ones. My parents have been dead for well over a decade. I might not take out my problems by running away or breaking things, but I know a thing or two about being angry.”

Emma frowned and looked down at her feet. She’s an adult; she’s not supposed to say stuff like that. She’s probably lying, but Emma’s internal lie detector wasn’t giving off any alarms. Emma jumped off the deck of the castle and landed on the ground gracefully. “I’m hungry,” she stated simply.

\---

It eventually got easier. Emma kept waiting and waiting, testing and testing. She played her music as loudly as her stereo allowed, left her shoes all over the house, never did the dishes… she kept waiting for Regina to show any signs of sending her back, but Regina seemed just as determined to prove her wrong as Emma did to prove herself right. Regina didn’t just let her get away with her bad behavior, of course. The brunette was a total fun sucker, just like all the mothers she’d read about in books. She’d make Emma put her shoes away, made her hand wash the dishes if she didn’t load the dishwasher, and even soundproofed her room so the blonde could play her music as loudly as she wanted.

Somehow the brunette always seemed to hear her when she had nightmares though. Emma couldn’t remember how many times she woke up with tears in her eyes looking at soft brown eyes, feeling comforting circles being rubbed on her back. As soon as she’d wake up, the brunette offered her the baby blanket she had been found with that always seemed to be thrown across the room when she had nightmares. Emma couldn’t recall a time in her life with the mayor that she woke up scared or alone.

It was the last day of school when it happened. They had almost been together for a year, and Emma rushed out the door to catch the bus, a bagel halfway in her mouth when she gave a hurried, “Bye, mom.” When she got on the bus, she realized what she had done and scolded herself for being so thoughtless. Regina didn’t say anything about it when she got back home, but she had bought cupcakes to celebrate the end of a school year and Emma’s good grades. Emma started using the title more, albeit hesitantly.

At thirteen, after three years together, the title had stuck, and Regina officially became mom. Emma didn’t even call her Regina when she was mad at her anymore. Then she got Mary Margaret Blanchard as her teacher for eighth grade. Emma knew her mom didn’t like the woman, but she seemed nice enough. Until she started keeping Emma after class. Ms. Blanchard had apparently noticed that Emma didn’t have very many friends, which was somehow related to her being an orphan.

Emma kept trying to tell the woman she wasn’t an orphan anymore and that the people that treated her differently because of this were the ones with the problem - she used the exact words Regina had told her for years after coming home without an invitation to a party or after getting called to the principal’s office for getting into a fight. Even if Emma were still an orphan, that was not everything she was. Mary Margaret apparently didn’t agree with this, and decided she need some hope in her life. She gave Emma a book of fairytales and said that everyone has a chance at a happy ending.

She shouldn’t have read the book. She shouldn’t have read every word and studied all the pictures on every page, and she definitely shouldn’t have seen any resemblance between characters in the book to people she knew in town. She absolutely refused to believe that her mother who had been the best person she’d ever known was the Evil Queen who only existed as her mother because she murdered thousands of innocent people and cursed everyone in this town. When Regina came into her room she was hyperventilating. She’d found a picture of the Savior, the child meant to destroy her mother’s happy ending. The Savior, a little baby with the same exact baby blanket that Emma had.

Regina gently touched Emma’s shoulder and Emma jumped. “Emma, sweetheart, what’s wrong.”

“It’s not true,” she mumbled, shaking her head. “It can’t be true,” she whispered. At Regina’s confused and concerned expression Emma shakily showed the book to her mother. There was the picture of the Evil Queen. Emma watched and saw her mother’s eyes darken as she flipped the pages.

When Regina reached the last page with the picture of the baby wrapped in Emma’s baby blanket she bit her lip. “They put me in a tree,” Emma mumbled, “They want me to… to destroy you.” Regina’s eyes turned sad as she maternally wrapped an arm around her daughter. Emma instinctively leaned into her mother’s embrace and held onto her tightly. “You can’t be evil. You… you’re the best person I’ve ever met…” she mumbled, focusing on the comforting circles being rubbed on her back. “It’s not true. It’s just coincidence… lot of kids could have that blanket… she doesn’t even look that much like you.” Even as Emma said this, Regina sensed that there was little certainty in her voice. She wanted her mother to reaffirm it, tell her that of course it was a lie. Of course she couldn’t be the Evil Queen. Emma looked up at her mother who gave her a sorrowful smile.

“It’s true,” the brunette said, and Emma just held her tighter. Regina sighed into her. “I cursed everyone. No one remembers who they are, but they’re all here in Storybrooke.”

“Of course the town’s called Storybrooke…” Emma said before burying her face into her mother’s shoulder. “Does this mean you’re going to give me back?”

“Why would I do that?” Regina said, her voice breaking. There was always a risk that if her child found out about her past she’d not want to stay with her. Emma would hate her.

“Cuz I’m supposed to hurt you.” Emma says, pulling away from her mother. “I’m supposed to destroy your happy ending. This whole town, everything you created; I’m supposed to take it from you.” Regina nodded, pushing a strand of loose blonde hair behind her daughter’s ear. “I don’t want to do that.”

Regina gasped and felt her eyes fill up with tears. “Even after everything I’ve done? I- I’m the reason you grew up in foster care, Emma.”

Emma shook her head. “You wouldn’t be my mom today if you hadn’t.”

Regina was amazed at how loving her daughter was being. “But you could have grown up with your parents… your real mother and father.”

“You’re my real mom. I don’t know Snow White and Prince Charming, but I know what they did for me. They sent me away. They put me in the tree. Alone. You were always kind to me. You loved me; you’re my mom.”

“You don’t care that I’m evil?”

“When’s the last time you killed someone?”

“The day you were born.”

“Do you plan on doing it again?”

“Only if you want me to.”

“What?” At this the blonde pulled back a little, her face scrunched in concern.

Regina chuckled. “No, dear. Unless you’re in immediate danger or ask me to will I even consider it.”

Emma raised her eyebrows thoughtfully. No one was ever willing to kill for her. Her mother was willing to do absolute evil things at her daughter’s command, and Emma couldn’t believe someone cared for her so much. “So can you do magic?”

Regina shook her head. “Not here. There’s no magic in this land.” Emma nodded, taking it in. “Anymore questions?”

Emma bit her lip and rubbed her arms nervously. “Well… kinda.” Regina nodded encouragingly. “If Ms. Blanchard is my-… Snow White… who’s Prince Charming?”

Regina frowned. “He almost died putting you in the tree. He’s in a coma in this world.” Emma nodded, as if not caring, her mouth forming a pondering ‘oh.’ Her mother grabbed her hand, and Emma furrowed her brows. “Do you want to see him?”

Emma’s eyes widened, and the blonde looked away as if shy. “No! I mean… well, there’s no reason for me to want to…”

“Sure there is, Emma. He’s your father.”

“No, he’s not,” Emma said bitterly, her eyes suddenly darkening. Regina squeezed her hand. “Sorry, I mean, I guess technically he is, but… I kind of gave up on him. On both of them.” Regina frowned. “I still… I still wanted to know… I mean, I didn’t know for my whole life; I was found on the side of the road. Who would do that to a baby?” Regina said nothing to defend the Charmings. Even if they meant well they had hurt her daughter, and she had to be there for her daughter. “I guess I know why now, but…”

“I can take you to see him,” Regina said sincerely, “if you want to see him.” By Emma’s tear stained face, she knew the answer was yes.

–--

Emma stared through the glass window at the man in the hospital. He didn’t have a name, Regina had said. He never had a life in Storybrooke; he had been in a coma for over thirteen years. The blonde scrunched up her face, studying him as closely as she can from the distance. “Isn’t Snow White supposed to be the one that falls asleep?” she mumbled, and Regina chortled at her daughter’s dark humor.

“Regina? Emma?” Speak of the devil. “Hi, ladies.”

Emma was hiding behind her hair shyly, so Regina answered curtly, “Miss Blanchard.”

“Are you visiting John Doe?” Mary Margaret asked, more towards Emma. The blonde nodded. “That’s wonderful, Emma. He doesn’t have many visitors. It must be nice to see a friendly face.”

The blonde nodded, and Regina saw Emma making connections. She has her chin, Regina noted. “Who knows, maybe he’s my long lost father,” Emma said, cynicism in her voice.

Mary Margaret looked at her pitifully, as if everything they’d talked about in their little chat had gone unheard. “Emma, did you have a chance to look at the book I gave you?”

Emma bit her lip and glanced between her mother and her birthmother. Regina answered for her, “I do not appreciate you giving my daughter books that are not on the approved reading list. We have these books previewed before classes start for a reason. You could have traumatized her.”

Emma rolled her eyes at her protective mother. Mary Margaret smiled gregariously. “With all due respect, Madame Mayor, I can’t imagine a situation where fairytales could be traumatizing.”

“You must know nothing of Brothers Grimm,” Regina countered, referencing of course the often morbid stories without happily ever afters.

“It’s fine, Mom,” Emma assured, an emphasis on the 'Mom.’ As if it were important to reassure the mayor who she really considered her mother. Regina wrapped an arm around Emma, and this time the blonde addressed the pixie-cut brunette. “Miss Blanchard, I appreciate the book, but I think you have a poor understanding of my character. I’m not just a kid, and I’m not just an orphan. I have a family now; I have my mom. If you think I’m having trouble making friends because I don’t feel like reaching out to others, well, that’s just not right. I might not have a lot of friends, but I’m not unhappy. I think differently, and that might be because of where I came from, but I’m okay. You don’t have to look out for me.”

Mary Margaret looked hesitantly at Regina then back at Emma and smiled sympathetically. “I know that Emma, but I want you to have the best chance. If you had friends-”

“Miss Blanchard, I suggest you think very carefully before you finish that sentence. Are you really about to scold my daughter for not having friends when she is not bullying others or acting out? In front of her mother no less.” Mary Margaret’s face turned a sickly pale. Emma bit her lip bemused at the fear her mother struck in others. She definitely made a good Evil Queen. “Emma, we can stay as long as you’d like.“

“Thanks, Mom. I think I’ve seen enough.” With that the teenager strolled out the visiting room, her mother trailing behind. When they were out of the hospital Emma cackled. “Oh my god, did you see her face? That must have been what she looked like when she figured out you poisoned her.”

“I can already imagine her angry pout when the curse breaks,” Regina responds, but at her daughter’s hesitance she stops laughing. “What is it, dear?”

Emma shrugged. “Uh, nothing. I just forgot about the curse part…” Regina watched her out the corner of her eye the entire way home.

–--

As she progressed into her teen years, Emma separated herself from her mother more and more. She went out until the early hours of the morning and was rarely seen at the dinner table. It still surprised Emma each time she sneaked into the house at four in the morning to see her mother up reading. Regina was worried about her daughter endlessly. Emma didn’t want to be with her anymore after she found out about the Evil Queen. That was the only reasonable conclusion she could draw, and when Emma received an acceptance letter from Boston University to go to college this was confirmed. Emma didn’t even want to be in the same state as her. Every time Regina tried to bring it up she got an exasperated sigh and a pleading “It’s not you.” Before being shut out by headphones.

After Emma left for college, Regina didn’t hear from her the entire first semester. It was February when she finally heard from her daughter again, and they were not on good terms. Emma called her from an unknown number crying, and Regina’s heart broke. “Mom,” the blonde’s voice cracked through the phone, “I fucked up. I really fucked up.” The Mayor bit her lip before waiting for her daughter to continue. “I- he… I flunked out, Mom,” she admitted, and Regina clenched her fists. “And that’s not all.”

“What happened, dear?” She asked, trying to keep her voice neutral. Emma had worked incredibly hard to get into university; something must have been terribly wrong for her to flunk out. “Are you okay?”

“I’m in prison,” Emma said next, and Regina floundered trying not to drop the phone. “And I’m pregnant.” Regina waited in silence as she tried to take in this shocking pile of news. “I’m so sorry, Mom,” Emma sobbed into the phone, and imagining her daughter so upset and alone made Regina very angry. “I’m here for eleven months. Mom, I’m gonna have the kid in jail. I can’t be a mother. I can’t even be an adult the right way. I can’t do that to the kid. I can’t be those parents.”

Regina only wanted to hold her daughter. She sounded as broken as she did when she would lash out in their early years together. She was feeling worthless again, and Regina couldn’t be there for her. “Emma,” Regina said calmly, and she heard a sniffle on the other end of the line. “You will get through this. I will assure you of that. I can’t do anything about you being in prison. Be strong, be good, and serve your term… but I can help you with the child.” Emma gasped, as if still coming to terms with the news herself, “I will find a good home for the child. Not a foster home. A closed adoption.”

“You’ll give the kid a family?” Emma breathed.

“A good family. I promise you this, Emma.” Regina said in her bravest voice. She had to be strong for both of them in this moment. “How far along are you, dear?”

“About two months now…” Emma mumbled, sounding the slightest bit calmer. “I can’t even look at myself. I can’t believe I’m subjecting something living to someplace so horrid.”

“This child will be happy. They’ll want for nothing. They’ll be as happy as if they were raised by Disney princesses.”

Emma chuckled. “As if our family wasn’t complicated enough. I wouldn’t want my birth mother to adopt my offspring.”

“Mary Margaret was not on my list of parenting options,” Regina said, a small smile tugging at her lips. Emma was joking; she was feeling better already. “Emma, do you know that I love you?” The blonde was silent. “I do love you.”

“How?” Emma said, her voice so surprised. “How can you love someone like me?”

Regina swallowed hard, cringing at her daughter’s self deprecation. They had been together for eight years, but the blonde still couldn’t understand that someone did want her. “How could I not? You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You love me regardless; it’s only right I return the favor.”

“And if I didn’t?” Emma asked, her throat dry. “What if I didn’t love you?”

Regina bit her lip but couldn’t help smiling sadly. “I’d love you anyway.”

There was a long moment of silence between them before Emma took a deep breath. “I love you. So much. More than you can even imagine. You’re the best Mom ever.”

“You make it easy,” Regina said, tears streaming down her face. “I love you, Emma.”

“I love you, Mom.”

–--

Six and a half months she got another call. “It was a boy,” was the first thing she heard. Regina hummed thoughtfully. She knew that; she’d seen the paperwork finalized two weeks ago. “I couldn’t even look at it. They asked me if I wanted to hold it, tried to show me how healthy it was. I didn’t even look at it.”

Regina spoke sincerely, “That’s okay, dear.”

“No it’s not. I just gave him up. I didn’t even think about him. What if they give him back? What if they decide they don’t want him? He’ll be all alone.”

“But what if they love him? What if they want to keep him? What if he’s happy?” Regina reassured her.

"None of that would happen with me. He’d be living in the backseat of my car after two months in a cell,” Emma mumbled, chuckling bitterly.

Regina twiddled her thumbs. “You can always come home, dear.” Emma coughed awkwardly. “You’re always wanted here even if you don’t want to be here.” They were silent until the time ran out on the phone call, listening to the white noise around each other. Regina didn’t sleep that night.

Emma didn’t come home. Instead she sent her mother a post card from her new apartment in Boston. She was a bail bondswoman. She knew how to work a computer. She didn’t have friends. She had given up on love. She didn’t say if she was happy. Regina sent her Christmas and birthday cards and care packages with letters attached. Emma only ever wrote back with two words: Thank you. Regina kept every letter.

On her twenty-eighth birthday, Emma received a postcard from Storybrooke. It said seven words. “Come home. I need you. -Love Mom.” Emma called her mother as soon as she read the message, not even realizing how late it was. Not surprising, Regina was still up. “Mom, I can’t come home right now.”

Regina shook her head. “I wasn’t asking, Emma.” Emma bit her lip. “I’m still your mother, dear. You have to listen to me.”

“Mom… you know I can’t,” Emma begged. “I… I don’t want to.”

Regina sighed, at peace with it. “You have to, Emma.” With that Regina hung up the phone.

Two days later a yellow bug pulled up in Regina’s driveway. When Regina went to meet her daughter, the blonde refused to hug her or touch her or let her help with her bags. “We need to talk about your car, Emma. That is a metal death trap.”

“It’s got personality,” the blonde defended. She sat on the couch, the same one from when she was younger. It was eerily familiar, but not at all comfortable. “So, why am I here?”

“I wanted you here,” Regina responded, offering her daughter something to drink. “I haven’t seen you in a decade. Why not?”

Emma fidgeted, twiddling her thumbs. “I… didn’t want to see you.” Regina’s heart sank. “I don’t want to be here; especially now.”

Regina looked at Emma earnestly. “Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you?” Regina tried to reach out to stroke her daughter’s face, but Emma cringes and pulls away. “If you never want to see me again… that’s-that’s okay. I won’t stop loving you, though.”

Emma flinched, hiding her face in her hands. “It’s not you. God, no, you’re too good. I really really want to be here. I really want to hug you and love you and let you in.”

“Why won’t you?” Regina asks softly. Emma didn’t trust her. It was the Evil Queen; her past was coming to bite her in the butt with her future. If she lost Emma that would be the ultimate punishment for her crimes. Dying would be less painful. “It’s what I did. You wouldn’t have had to grow up alone if it weren’t for me.”

“No, that’s completely wrong!” Emma shouted, grabbing her mother by the arm, a strong movement but still gentle. “I can’t be with you because… because what if I break the curse? Your happy ending, everyone in the town… you’ll lose it, and it will be all my fault.”

Regina sighed, relief flowing through her. She smiled warmly, a nervous chuckle leaving her lips. Emma looked at her with confusion. “I’d rather lose everything else than you. You’re more important to me than any curse. You are my happy ending, Emma.”

Emma’s eyes welled with tears. “I ruin everything I love, Mom. I didn’t want you to be one of those.”

“You’ve only ruined me because I won’t be happy without you in my life. I’d rather have the entire town hate me and have you by my side than live as the Mayor of this little town for the rest of my life.”

Emma wiped at her eyes. “I-I love you, Mom.”

Regina smiled warmly at her daughter. “I love you too, Emma.” She leans in and gives her daughter a kiss on the forehead and a hug. Emma pulls back with an awed expression on her face. “What is it dear?”

“There was… there was a poof. Like some sort of rainbow light.”

Regina’s eyes widened, and she looked at Emma. “True love. We broke the curse, dear.”

“Great,” Emma sighed, looking down and pouting miserably. There was a moment of silence before Emma looked around. “Now what?”

Regina shrugged. “I didn’t plan past this. Everyone has their memories, but other than that I don’t know.”

Emma nodded in acceptance. “Can I have that drink now?”

Regina smirked at her daughter. “Apple cider?”

The blonde shook her curly hair and smiled shyly. “Got anything stronger?” Regina arched a brow at her daughter and gave her a warning look. “What? Mom, I’m twenty-eight!”

“Don’t remind me,” the brunette mumbled and went to go fix their drinks.


End file.
